Phaseolus vulgaris L. Leaves Increase Short-Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) Production, Ameliorating Early Metabolic Alterations.

High-fat/high-fructose diets promote early metabolic disorders in weight and lipid and glucose metabolism. Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and fiber present in plant-based food prevent the development of metabolic disorders. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Flor de Mayo Eugenia (FME) bean leaves on early metabolic alterations in male Wistar rats fed a high-fat/high-fructose diet. After proximate and chemical analysis of FME bean leaves, thirty-six male Wistar rats (ethical approval 06FCN2019 and 77FCN2019) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) standard diet (S) fed with Rodent Laboratory Chow 5001®; 2) standard diet + 10% dry FME bean leaves (SBL); 3) high-fat (lard) and high-fructose diet (H); and 4) high-fat/high-fructose diet + 10% dry FME bean leaves (HBL). The study was carried out for six weeks. Group H exhibited early metabolic alterations compared to Group S: final weight gain (↑15%), abdominal fat accumulation (waist circumference, ↑11%), triglycerides (↑30%), glucose (↑16%), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, ↑32%), and fecal triglycerides (↑284%) and decreased total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs, ↓17%). FME bean leave supplementation (HBL) prevented body weight gain (↓12%), abdominal fat accumulation (waist circumference, ↓10%), and early insulin resistance (glucose area under the curve, ↓6%) compared to Group H. The supplementary bean leave diet increased SCFA production (↑54%), most likely mediated by the fiber and polyphenols present in the leaves. Therefore, bean leaves are a low-cost alternative for human nutritional care and prevention of early metabolic alterations.

Bioaccessibility and In Vitro Intestinal Permeability of a Recombinant Lectin from Tepary Bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) Using the Everted Intestine Assay.

Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) lectins exhibit differential in vitro and in vivo biological effects, but their gastrointestinal interactions and digestion have not yet been assessed. This work aimed to evaluate the changes of a recombinant Tepary bean lectin (rTBL-1) through an in vitro and ex vivo gastrointestinal process. A polyclonal antibody was developed to selectively detect rTBL-1 by Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemical analysis. Everted gut sac viability was confirmed until 60 min, where protein bioaccessibility, apparent permeability coefficient, and efflux ratio showed rTBL-1 partial digestion and absorption. Immunoblot assays suggested rTBL-1 internalization, since the lectin was detected in the digestible fraction. The immunohistochemical assay detected rTBL-1 presence at the apical side of the small intestine, potentially due to the interaction with the intestinal cell membrane. The in silico interactions between rTBL-1 and some saccharides or derivatives showed high binding affinity to sialic acid (-6.70 kcal/mol) and N-acetylglucosamine (-6.10 kcal/mol). The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electron spray ionization-quantitative time-of-flight coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS) analysis showed rTBL-1 presence in the gastric content and the non-digestible fraction after intestinal simulation conditions. The results indicated that rTBL-1 partially resisted the digestive conditions and interacted with the intestinal membrane, whereas its digestion allowed the absorption or internalization of the protein or the derivative peptides. Further purification of digestion samples should be conducted to identify intact rTBL-1 protein and digested peptides to assess their physiological effects.

Cambios nutrimentales en el lechón y desarrollo morfofisiológico de su aparato digestivo / Nutritional changes in piglets and morphophysiologic development of their digestive tract

This review shows the development of the pig gastrointestinal tract (GIT) since intrauterine life. Immediately after birth, the GIT begins another important stage in its ontogenesis, which ensures for the piglets to have access to the protective substances in colostrum and milk nutrients. Another important stage in the development of the GIT begins after weaning. In general, life changes in the days around weaning leading to a decrease in feed intake, which, in turn, leads to nutritional stress that results in the atrophy of intestinal villi, diminishing the piglets ability to digest and absorb nutrients necessary for growth. The small intestine loses weight due to a net loss of intestinal mucosa. The decrease in voluntary feed intake also produces a reduction in both pancreatic enzyme activity, due to lack of substrate, and brush border enzyme activity, due to physical loss of enterocytes in the small intestine and to lack of substrate. Once the animals begin to eat solid food the organism goes through an adaptation process to all the adverse factors previously mentioned and GIT growth and digestive function are restored. During this process, the amount of feed provided to the newly weaned piglet and the ingredients used play an important role in GIT maturation.

En esta revisión se muestra el desarrollo que tiene el tracto gastrointestinal (TGI) desde la vida intrauterina. Inmediatamente después del nacimiento el TGI inicia otra fase importante de su ontogénesis, la cual garantiza el acceso de los lechones a sustancias protectoras del calostro y a los nutrimentos de la leche. Otra etapa de importancia en el desarrollo del TGI se da después del destete, en general, en los días alrededor del mismo se presentan cambios en la vida del lechón los cuales conducen a una disminución en el consumo de alimento por la confluencia de una serie de factores que llevan a un estrés nutricional, y tiene como consecuencia la atrofia en las vellosidades intestinales, disminuyendo la capacidad del lechón para digerir y absorber los nutrimentos necesarios para su buen crecimiento. El peso del intestino delgado se ve afectado debido a una pérdida neta de mucosa intestinal. La disminución en el consumo voluntario también produce una reducción en la actividad de las enzimas pancreáticas, por la falta del sustrato necesario para su acción, y de las enzimas de borde en cepillo, en primer lugar por una pérdida física de enterocitos a nivel del intestino delgado y, en segundo lugar, por una ausencia de sustrato. Una vez que los animales empiezan a consumir alimento sólido, el organismo pasa por un proceso de adaptación a todos los factores adversos antes mencionados y los animales comienzan a recuperar el crecimiento del TGI y con ello sus funciones digestivas. En este proceso, la cantidad de alimento que se proporciona, así como las materias primas que lo componen, tienen un papel importante en la maduración del TGI de los lechones recién destetados.

Algunos factores fisiológicos y nutricionales que afectan la incidencia de diarreas posdestete en lechones / Some physiological and nutritional factors affecting the incidence of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets

Weaning causes disturbances in the digestive function and intestinal health of piglets and is almost always associated with a severe growth depression and diarrhea. For this reason antibiotics in sub-therapeutic doses are often added to feed to prevent diarrhea and as growth promoters. However, due to the ban of antibiotics in feedstuffs in different parts of the world, an increase in post-weaning diarrhea in piglets has been observed. Several nutritional strategies have been used as control measures. This work reviews some aspects of nutrition, digestive physiology, intestinal microflora in weaned piglets and their relationship with post-weaning diarrhea. It is concluded that the use of probiotics and prebiotics in pig starter diets may be an alternative to replace antibiotics in post-weaning diarrhea control. Fed piglets after weaning with a low crude protein diet (17%) instead to high crude protein diets (23% or more), may also be an efficient strategy to diarrhea control through the reduction in the urea nitrogen level in plasma and the production of microbial toxic metabolites such as ammonia, which indicates a reduction in the fermentation of proteins and contributes to maintain intestinal health.

El destete produce perturbaciones en el funcionamiento digestivo y en la salud intestinal de los lechones y casi siempre se asocia con una severa depresión del crecimiento y diarrea. Por ello, con frecuencia se agregan dosis subterapéuticas de antibióticos al alimento como medida preventiva contra las diarreas y como promotores de crecimiento. Sin embargo, debido a la prohibición del uso de antibióticos en la alimentación animal, en diferentes partes del mundo se ha observado un incremento de las diarreas posdestete en lechones. Para contrarrestar este problema se ha promovido el uso de estrategias nutricionales como medidas de control. El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo revisar algunos aspectos relacionados con la nutrición, la fisiología digestiva, la microbiota intestinal de lechones recién destetados y su relación con las diarreas posdestete. Se concluyó que el uso de probióticos y prebióticos en las raciones iniciadoras puede ser una alternativa para reemplazar los antibióticos en control de las diarreas posdestete. Alimentar a los lechones después del destete con dietas con niveles bajos de proteína cruda (17% de PC, en lugar de 23% o más) también puede ser una estrategia eficiente para controlar diarreas. Esto a través de la reducción del nivel de nitrógeno ureico plasmático y de la producción de metabolitos microbianos tóxicos, como el amoniaco, lo que indica una reducción en la fermentación de proteínas y contribuye a mantener la salud intestinal.